Cultivator-tooth.



No. 779,060. I PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905.

I s. E. AUKER; GULTIVATOR TOOTH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29, 1904.

UNITED STATES Patented January 3, 1905. v

STEPHEN AUKER, OF WAYNE, NEBRASKA.

CULTlVATOR-TOOTH- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.779,060, dated January 3, 1905.

Application filed July 29, 1904. Serial No- 218,6Z9. I

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN E. AUKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Wayne, in the county of Wayne and State of suitable place tothe roots of the plants to be cultivated.

' The object of my invention is to provide a tool which will performboth of these functions with a maximum efiiciency and a minimumexpenditure of labor. To this end I provide an attachment forcultivators to take the place of the ordinary shovel, which may beattached to the ordinary shovel-shank.

My invention consists of a device which will uproot and destroy weedsand at the same time will break up and make light a thin layer of earthon the surface of the field. It is so made that it will cover the wholespace between the rows of plants to be cultivated and cultivate theentire field except that portion occupied by the roots of said plants.In plan my device is V-shaped, the center being in advance of the sides,which are slightly inclined upward from the outer edges and may besharpened on the outer edges. From the junction of the two blades risesa tongue integral therewith, by which they may be attached to thecultivator-shank, to fit which the tongue may be curved. If the shank isof wood, my attachment may be connected to it by means of a bolt passedthrough it, and the tongue or the attachment may be fastened to theshank in any suitable manner.

In thedrawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention. Fig. 2 is aside view showing it attached to the shank of a cultivator. Fig. 3 is atransverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 9..

The device has two blades A A, which are arranged at an acute angle toeach other, so as to form a V-shaped cutting edge with the center inadvance of the sides. The blades are made of some thin stifl metal, suchas sheet iron or steel, and may be sharpened on their outer edges, so asto more readily sever the roots of weeds, &o. They are set so that thereis a slight rise from the cutting edge to the inner edge of each blade,which may be two or three inches wide and ten inches or more long, thusinsuring a complete severing of all roots in its path. The distancebetween the rear ends of the cutting edges of the blades is very nearlythe distance apart of the rows of plants to be cultivated, so that asmuch of. the earth as possible may be cultivated by a single passage ofthe cultivator over the field.

Just back of the junction-point of the two blades rises with a backwardinclination a tongue B, by which the tooth is attached to a shank D ofthe cultivator. The tongue is slightly curved to fit the shank and hasat its sides fiat wings. Near its top I provide a hole 6 in the curvedportion and holes 6 in both wings, one of which holes is elongated, soas to allow of adjustment of the bolt which passes therethrough, ashereinafter described.

It Will be readily seen that the device can be cheaply and rapidly madefrom a single piece of sheet metal and bent into shape.

My device may be fastened to the shankof a cultivator in any Well-knownmanner; but I prefer to use a semicircular band C, which at one end isrivet-headed through the smaller hole Z) in the wing and has a bolt atits other end which passes through the elongated le 6 in the other wingafter the band C has been passed on the other side of the shank from thetongue B, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The device may also be attached bypassing a bolt through the central hole I) in the tongue and a holeprepared for it in the shank.

I have found that by the use of four of these teeth instead of theordinary shovels on a cultivator I am able to destroy all the weeds andto give surface cultivation to all the land, leaving a blanket of loosesoil on the surface, which retains the moisture and at the same timeleaves the roots of the cultivated plants undisturbed. By the use of alow-lying tooth such as I provide clogging of the roots of the Weeds isto a great extent avoided and the number of horses required to propelthe cultivator is reduced.

I claim as my invention- The combination with a cultivator-standard, 5of a shallow V-shaped blade formed with a central upwardly-inclinedtongue which is semicircular in cross-section and haslaterally-projecting perforated flanges on opposite sides, acoupling-strap pivotally connected 10 with one of said flanges and abolt extending through an elongated opening in the opposite flange andthrough the strip for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

STEPHEN E. AUKER.

Witnesses:

A. R. DAVIS, A. A. WELCH.

